Attempt to Brand Muslims Anti-Nationals: AP Minority Panel Chief

He said Muslims would resolve the issues such as ‘triple talaq’ and polygamy “within the community” they are “on the verge” of doing so.

State Minorities Commission chairman Abid Rasool Khan

Hyderabad: The Chairman of State Minorities Commission serving Andhra Pradesh & Telangana sees the Law Commission’s questionnaire asking the public for the responses on the Uniform Civil Code and the ‘triple talaq’ as an “attempt by the government to the brand Muslims as anti-nationals”.

“The government is trying to create a scene of atmosphere where the Muslim community gets an agitated and does something which is not desirable, in turn, they are branded as anti-nationals…those who do not follow Constitution of India & all that,” Abid Rasool Khan said.

“The community is falling into the trap of right-wing elements and the agencies who are working in tandem,” he alleged.

Khan described the exercise of asking for opinions without the government putting a draft of a Uniform Civil Code in a public domain as “very absurd and not heard of”.

“You are not telling other religions how are you are going to alter their rights, you are not touching the other communities. Ministers on a TV do not talk about the HUF (Hindu Undivided Family) taxation benefits. All these things make me exhausted that there is a hidden agenda behind the questionnaire,” he said.

Stating that every 200 sq. km, one can see the different culture in India, Khan said that the questionnaire must have had a minimum of 500-600 questions.

“In 16 questions, you are frustrating to do it. So, what the government is basically doing is framing the policy to show the Muslims as anti-national & unpatriotic…who do not follow the Constitution & democratic principles. I strongly object to this,” he said.

Khan requested the Law Commission to withdraw questionnaire, adding that the government must first put a draft of the Uniform Civil Code “they are talking & threatening about” in the public domain and give “ample time” to all the communities.

He noted that questionnaire did not “talk about a Sikh community, the Kodagu community in the Uttar Pradesh which allows five husbands to a single woman, which is common in most of the villages in a hill areas of the state & the Nagaland where the wife may be changed with a small gift given to her”.

“The way it is being handled, it is just a poll publicity tool before the Uttar Pradesh election & then it will sink in a boat,” Khan said and the termed the exercise a “political gimmick”.

He said Muslims would resolve issues such as ‘triple talaq’ & polygamy “within the community” and they are “on the verge” of doing so.